RADIO
A healthy nine-game slate before we head into the weekend features high point totals and potential playoff matchups throughout. With the Hawks currently as the eighth seed and the Nets as the first, there's some fun to be had viewing this game through a post-seasonal lens. Brooklyn will struggle to defend Trae Young and the Hawks will need a conjoined effort to stop the Nets' 1-2 punch of Kevin Durant and James Harden. Because this is a regular season game, teams will hold off on playoff-type game-planning, so don't get TOO caught up on defense (like I do).
Phoenix and Boston cap off Friday night as the only west coast game, with the Celtics at risk of losing their third straight. Not only would they fall to 13-14 if they lose, but it would have been the doing by a team whose best player is cheering from the bench. This season has been a test for Jayson Tatum's conditioning and durability, and without Jaylen Brown, we are seeing more lapses in the rest of Boston's rotation that Tatum cannot make up for on his own.
MonkeyKnifeFight.com is always ahead of the curve with their canceling of contests amid postponements, so don't worry about wasting money on a player or game that might not play. As always, you can find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter with any questions, especially since lines and players are subject to change throughout the day.
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SAC @ CHA
Kelly Oubre Jr. (CHA) MORE 23.5 Fantasy Points - De'Aaron Fox (SAC) MORE 22.5 Points
Until players return, the Hornets don't have much choice in their rotation. Kelly Oubre Jr. is taking the most shots and even though Charlotte lost both games they played against the 76ers, they only lost by a combined total of seven points despite an 8-man rotation with no genuine point guard. It's not a great look for the Hornets down the stretch, but for fantasy owners and bettors right now, it's hard to pass on overs for most of these players when they're getting the usage they need to produce nightly.
The Kings rank dead last when it comes to opposing teams scoring in the paint, and without Richaun Holmes it somehow can only get worse. Alex Len, Tristan Thompson, and Marvin Bagley are splitting center duties, which means De'Aaron Fox not only will have to help defend the paint because of the Kings lack of a frontcourt, but he is going to have to carry the offense and hope his big men can convert when he sets them up. Luckily, the Hornets are second-to-last when it comes to opposing paint points, so even if Fox isn't hitting his jumper, he's still likely to put up another high-scoring effort against Charlotte's guard.
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DAL @ IND
Malcolm Brogdon (IND) MORE 19.5 Points - Kristaps Porzingis (DAL) MORE 7.5 Rebounds
With trade rumors circling, Myles Turner has made it fairly clear he is unhappy with his role. His availability is one of the biggest factors for the Pacers, but even an unhappy Turner is better than what his replacements would provide. Regardless, whether he plays or not has more impact on the Pacers offensive gameplan than it will against something like Kristaps Porzingis' rebounding. Porzingis already has a great history against the Pacers frontcourt and he's yet to pull down less than 12 rebounds against them.
For Malcolm Brogdon, his willingness to incorporate teammates as much as he can makes it easy to track when he will have big games, but are tough beats when those teammates finally produce and Brogdon can sit on cruise control. The main reason this game made it in the article wasn't just to spread the news about Myles Turner, it was because regardless of who plays in this game, Brogdon is going to produce against a Mavericks defense that lacks quality defenders in both the front and backcourt, and Porzingis is getting rebounds whether Turner gets traded or signs with Indiana for another 10 years.
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BKN @ ATL
Kevin Durant (BKN) MORE 27.5 Points - Trae Young (ATL) MORE 27.5 Points
Even on bad nights, Kevin Durant scores well over 20 points. The last game he played he scored 24 points on 22 shots, but nearly half of those points came in the fourth quarter. He got a game off against the Rockets and Brooklyn lost, which means Durant's coming back with confidence. Even with the collective of frontcourt players dedicating all their effort to stop Durant, it doesn't mean they will really stop him. It just means he is going to take more jumpshots, and we saw what happened last time he wasn't hitting. He kept shooting and stole a game from the Mavericks. The Hawks are in trouble.
Similarly, Trae Young is facing a very susceptible backcourt that offers little resistance. Despite his still impressive scoring streak, he has resorted to initiating more offense, relying more heavily on teammates in his most recent games, but still getting the shot attempts needed despite the focus on passing. Scoring 29 points, including 13 FTA, last game against the Timberwolves is a good indication that his aggression hasn't changed.
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CLE @ MIN
Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) MORE 22.5 Points - Darius Garland (CLE) MORE 18.5 Points
The Cavaliers frontcourt isn't the easiest group of players to score against and Karl-Anthony Towns will need to hit jumpshots. Being a seven-footer, he will benefit from players like Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell disrupting the defense, but both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have shown strength on defense and have the length to make scoring at the rim tough for everyone. Towns is on a nice little scoring streak despite inconsistent shot attempts, so even if he does need to rely on his jumper, he has the hot-hand.
There are no other guards to turn to for offense, and realistically, why would you? Darius Garland has been the guy for the Cavaliers since Collin Sexton went down with an injury, and everything about this emergence has been positive. Outside of one bad game, Garland's become a player that not only scores 20 points a night on his own, but generates another 10-20 points based on assists and ball movement. If you favor fantasy points, it's hard to take the under when he gets a fair share of rebounds every night as well as assists.
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